By admin | July 26, 2011

Photo: Ayngelina

The economy is still recovering and it seems like every other piece of news is about the spending or saving, taxes or the debt ceiling. More than ever, money and the economy are on everyone’s mind. Even though food prices are rising, some restaurants have realized they can’t keep some of the extravagant menu items they’ve served in the past.

A recent article in the New York Post pointed out that a number of New York City restaurants are taking some pricier items off their menus. Dishes like the $175 hamburger at the Wall Street Burger Shoppe, the $270 white-truffle baked potato at the Four Seasons, and the $1,000 bagel with truffle cream cheese, goji-berry jelly and gold leaves at the Time Square Westin-Hotel were all offered during better economic times, but have since stopped selling and been taken off their menus.

On the other hand, some of these lavish dishes are still being offered. Norma’s at Le Parker Meridien hotel is still serving its $1,000 “Zillion Dollar Frittata” with 10 ounces of Sevruga caviar, as is Nino’s Bellissima with its $1,000 pizza topped with caviar, salmon roe, creme fraiche and lobster tail. The Algonquin Hotel is featuring a $10,000 martini, which is served with a cut diamond in the glass. But even though these items are still on their menus, sales have been on a drastic decline for the past several years.

When food prices are still so high and people are struggling to put healthy food on the table, should there still be such expensive items on the menu? It’s great to see actions being taken, like First Lady Michelle Obama’s initiative, to get more healthy food to more people across the country for lower prices-that’s the kind of thinking that will help feed more people. But then again, the customer is always right and can spend their money any way they want.

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